Best Perfumes for Women

Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci

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Gucci Flora is one of its more popular fragrances. So, naturally they brought out a flanker to it, Gorgeous Gardenia. I initially tried this one out, when it was first released, but have come back to it in order to post a full review. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Gorgeous Gardenia worth a try?

What does Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Smell Like?

Notes include: gardenia, brown sugar, mandarin, red berries, jasmine, frangipani, patchouli, pear blossom

Click here to try: Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci

My Full Review

Gorgeous Gardenia opens up with a mix of its fruit notes and the brown sugar accord on full display. The pear blossom leads the way, but it is joined by red berries and a bit of orange.

The heart of the fragrance is obviously the namesake gardenia note. Early on however, it will be geared to the sweet freshness of the fruits, and the scent is delightful.

The pear blossom gives this a nice sparkle and with the frangipani and the emergence of the other floral notes, it can even give off a tropical vibe at certain points. The gardenia will take over for the frangipani, but the latter is the floral note I get most earlier in the wear.

The fruitiness will start to burn off, but the scent remains smelling edible with the patchouli and brown sugar notes. Yet, this is when the white floral accord really begins to take over more.

Flora Gorgeous Gardenia remains clean and light, never becoming a heavier gourmand kind of perfume.

The dry down gives me gardenia, a light jasmine, patchouli, and the remains of the brown sugar/pear. The frangipani is gone and the sweetness of everything is more of an impression, than distinct and separate notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is initially pretty good. There is definitely a scent trail to it and it will project itself nicely off of the skin. Not an absolute monster, but you can tell that it is there and others will notice.

After that initial blast, it does move quickly closer to the skin. Not entirely a ‘skin scent’ for the whole wear, but it’s light. At it’s peak, Gorgeous Gardenia is above average in strength.

The longevity seems to be in the 5-6 hour range. During testing, it was closer to the five hour mark, but it did hit six once. So, it for sure isn’t a massive performer, but also wasn’t a complete let down.

Seasonally, it’s probably at its best in the spring and summer months. Enjoyable to wear when it is warm out, but even in cooler temperatures it still had its charm. Maybe not wear it on bitterly cold days, though.

This Gucci can also work well for any age group. Yes, it has fruits and sugar, but it doesn’t come across as being immature. I think that since it never becomes too thick and cloying, it will have a greater appeal across ages.

Gorgeous Gardenia is a pretty fragrance. Office safe. Good for casual daytime wear. Pretty enough for romantic encounters, but not overtly sexy and begging for attention.

Overall Impressions of Gorgeous Gardenia

Overall, do I like Flora Gorgeous Gardenia? The fragrance itself is really very nice. I love that initial sweetness and the brown sugar plays well off of it all.

It never leans too much to the floral side of things, doesn’t have any stem greenness in it. The fresh white floral fragrance is easy to wear and I even like the gardenia note a lot here, even if it’s not my favorite note.

Really, the main issue is performance. It’s okay, on me at least. However, it certainly would do better with some more power in the equation.

I do think that it is still worthwhile to at least try out. For some, you’d probably still want to buy a bottle because it does smell great. Extremely easy to wear and has such a clean attractiveness.

7 Best Smelling Polo Ralph Lauren Perfumes

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Ralph Lauren is an iconic American designer who has made the classic preppy look famous and fashionable for decades now. In the fragrance game, the brand has produced amazing and ever popular scents for both men and women over the years, whether it be under the Polo label or under the designer’s own name.

I have update this list to include some newer releases from Ralph Lauren, as well as, to purge some of the more difficult to find discontinued scents.

What are the Best Ralph Lauren Perfumes for Her?

Popular Versatile Floral Wear

Ralph Lauren Romance Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
Elegant and sultry floral perfume that will set off a romantic mood. Romance starts off with some citrus to lead one it to it’s main floral composition. Rose is prominent but not entirely dominant, as this Ralph Lauren fragrance, is much more akin to walking in a blooming garden than being spritzed with rose water.

It has a very feminine air, it’s sophisticated yet upbeat, and the florals are flanked by pink pepper and musk. The latter two notes add enough spice to make things interesting and seductive, otherwise, you might just be left with another boring floral perfume.

Romance adds other floral notes such as marigold and jasmine to add to the bouquet effect. It’s blended so well as to make it quite clean and more difficult to discern the individual notes. It’s not overly strong but has good longevity. It seems best used on spring and summer days, but with a name like Romance, it can be fantastic on a date night too. Romance EDP Review

romance

Clean Pear and Hazelnut

Woman by Ralph Lauren 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Woman is the newest addition to this list, having been released after I posted the initial version, some years back. It starts with a fresh out of the shower vibe, with a clean pear note, that is flanked by soapy elements.

After a bit of time, the beautiful floral notes emerge, mainly orange blossom and tuberose. It has a spring/summery vibe with more of an outdoorsy smell than many of the aquatic types that get associated with the warmer months of the year.

I really enjoy the orange blossom here, with the hazelnut that comes in, Woman provides a very enjoyable sensory experience. The aromas form a fragrance that has grown on me, the more I have smelled it.

During the dry down, sensations of hazelnut and woody notes pop out, but never take things over fully. It’s a moderately strong perfume, that is pleasant, and safe enough to be worn in an office or at school. It strikes me as a definite day time wear, particularly in a casual to semi-formal setting. Woman Full Review

Raspberry and Vanilla Beauty

Beyond Romance from Ralph Lauren– Beyond Romance is a great sweet and sugary perfume. It kicks off with the raspberry note, that is joined by some light citrus touches.

Black vanilla, rose, and cashmeran gives this one a slight powdery hint…that sort of comes across like marshmallow for a part of the wear.

Raspberry and vanilla are the dominant notes, with musk and cashmeran finishing things off. The floral notes are rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley. Though, none of them play too major of a role in Beyond Romance.

Decent power and performance, just not spectacular. The scent itself, is. If you enjoy this sort of perfume, it develops a nice balance without becoming too childish with its sugary aroma. Beyond Romance Review

Fresh Semi-Aquatic

Ralph Lauren Blue by Ralph Lauren Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 oz Women
A moderate and everyday wear that is highlighted by white floral notes similar to some Michael Kors fragrances. Ralph Lauren Blue is definitely for those who love notes such as gardenia, lily, and jasmine.

There is an element of an aquatic feel, as the name might suggest, but its pretty subtle and never comes close to taking over the floral composition. Blue is super fresh, with a slight powdery aroma, and underlying musk and sandalwood to give it more depth.

The watery feeling comes from flowers like lily and lotus, with some light fruit touches of juicy melon underneath. Lots of jasmine here, which pairs absolutely beautifully with the gardenia.

ralph blue

Great Fruity Floral Fragrance

Ralph by Ralph Lauren for Women, Eau De Toilette Natural Spray, 3.4 Ounce
A bright and sexier type of floral based fragrance that pairs with fruit notes such as apple and mandarin. The two fruit notes are the main event, so this is a good choice for ladies who don’t want a perfume completely dominated by flowers, like Ralph Lauren Blue.

Ralph is a warm weather scent, that has a sporty edge, and aquatic underpinnings. This is pretty sweet (fruity sweet) and has a fantastic crisp freshness about it. Ralph has more a youthful vibe and isn’t very complex, by any means.

However, it is a really good fragrance, and has a well earned spot near the top in its niche.

ralph

Sweet and Tart Scent

Ralph Lauren Polo Big Pony Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, No.2 Pink, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
Very soft and sweet perfume containing notes of cranberry, tonka bean, and some floral ingredients. Big Pony 2 is a simple and straightforward wear. One must have an appreciation for the sharp sweetness of cranberry and the smooth creamy tonka bean.

The cranberry note brings to mind Polo Red for men, that is upbeat, fun, and has a sunny demeanor. The main difference is that this doesn’t have a  lemon note complementing it. Cranberry paired with tonka bean is very unique and actually comes together surprisingly well.

ralph pink

A Classic Ralph Lauren

Lauren Perfume by Ralph Lauren for Women 118 ml / 4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray
A vintage type of fragrance which dates back to the late 70s. Lauren is youthful but a little more refined than something like the entry above.

This fragrance features more earthy notes to go along with sweet fruit and floral. If one can still find a vintage bottle, Lauren is an excellent blast from the past.

The updated versions are still very good, though, somewhat different from what the older ones brought to the table. It seems drier, with a greater emphasis on the sage note, for some of the wear. Later in the dry down, Lauren brings out some softer dewy floral petals of lilac and lily. Performance is good, and this still has that classic sort of feeling.

ralph lauren

Lady Million EDP by Paco Rabanne

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This will be my first review of a fragrance from the Lady Million line by Paco Rabanne. I have already covered some other women’s scents from this brand, but weren’t from this particular silo of scents. As usual, I am going to cover what’s inside, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not Lady Million Eau de Parfum is even worth a try.

What does Lady Million EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, gardenia, patchouli, orange blossom, neroli, bitter orange, raspberry, honey, and amber

Click here to try: Lady Million by Paco Rabanne Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.70 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

When smelling Lady Million EDP, I was trying to detect if there were any parallels between it and the men’s version. Other than being sweet, nope. Even the sweetness, is a completely different sort of aroma.

From the start, I get a lot of white floral notes, mainly gardenia and orange blossom, with a hint of jasmine. As it moves, along it sort of reverses and I detect more jasmine than the other two floral notes.

Also, the raspberry adds a layer of juicy sweetness to the composition. It is sort of muted versus some of the other perfumes that feature a really strong and bright raspberry. In Lady Million, it is tempered by florals, honey, and some patchouli.

So, the honey note is the main attraction here, once you hit the 30 minute or so mark. The raspberry takes a back seat to the sweetness of the honey. It is rich and warm and supported by a lovely amber note. It all does have a ‘golden’ sort of smell that resembles the bottle.

It’s an enveloping white floral fragrance with a sweet thickness, which hangs around for essentially the entire wear. Not what I’d call heavy, but syrupy might be the better term.

The final lineup of notes ends up with honey, jasmine, raspberry, patchouli, amber, and some gardenia. A gourmand floral fragrance, that is pleasant, and well blended. There’s a richness, juiciness, and also a bouquet effect all wrapped into one.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection and sillage wise, Lady Million is actually fairly moderate. This is a change of pace from the men’s version, which is super loud. Lady Million isn’t like that, it’s much more wearable on a daily basis.

It’s probably toward the upper end of the moderate range, but never feels extreme, in the slightest. Reading the notes before trying it out, I was actually surprised that it didn’t project itself off of the skin or clothing even more.

Even without a large radius of projection, this Paco Rabanne fragrance, does last a long time. You can get through a full workday with this perfume without issue. Depending on the day, it seems to settle in the 8-10 hour range.

Is Lady Million versatile? Yes, it works best in the colder months of the year, but it can also be utilized during spring and summer, as well. Lady Million can be worn at the office, school, casually, or out for an evening.

But, it does also skew younger. So, probably best served for those in their early to mid 20s. Not that others can’t wear it, but it isn’t the most formal or grown up fragrance out there. Though also, not just for teens.

I would probably keep it to the indoors or nighttime during the warmer months. Again, it’s not overwhelmingly powerful or too rich, to the point that it’ll just flat out melt.

It’s nice, safe, but also has a delicious/sexy side to the composition. This is one of the greatest strengths of this scent, is its ability to be worn nearly universally, and without being overbearing at all. Sweet, syrupy, and fairly youthful…yes, just not overbearing.

Overall Impressions of Lady Million

Overall, do I like Lady Million? I do. It’s not the most amazing scent out there, but it does smell good, has good performance, and is a safe bet for women looking for an everyday perfume. Some won’t enjoy the gourmand qualities, white floral notes, or somewhat synthetic aroma.

So, if that’s definitely you, this one should probably be skipped. However, most women will enjoy wearing this one, as evidenced by its popularity over the years. It’s an all around very good scent and a fair value.

Versatility and the longevity are the strongest aspects of this fragrance. Personally, I enjoy the honey, amber, and orange blossom the most…as far as the actual smell goes. Not blown away by it overall, just an above average perfume.

You just need to expect the sweetness and honeyed floral presentation. If that’s your type of thing, this is a pretty decent example.

Viva La Juicy Soiree by Juicy Couture

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For today’s review, I have another ladies’ perfume. This time it’s an entry from Juicy Couture, which was released in 2017 under their Viva la Juicy banner, called: Viva la Juicy Soiree. How does this flanker fragrance to the original popular Juicy Couture scent, smell? Does it last a long time? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a look?

What does Viva La Juìcy Soireè Smell Like?

Notes include: lily, pink kiwi, jasmine, mandarin orange, cassis, wood, amber, musk

Click here to try: Viva La Juìcy Soireè Perfume For Women 3.4 oz Eau De Parfum Spray

Full Review

Before we get into my full review, let’s see what Juicy Couture has to say about this fragrance: Escape reality to an over-the-top masked party with Viva la Juicy Soiree. The fragrance dances to life with jeweled fruits like pink kiwi while vibrant water lily and soft woods pulse with an intoxicating allure. Let the party begin. 

The opening of Viva la Juicy Soiree immediately reveals the fragrance’s star attraction, the pink kiwi note. It’s very fresh, fruity, and juicy. This is supported by a light mandarin orange, that skirts along the edges of the scent.

You can definitely tell that its a Juicy Couture fragrance, if you’ve tried others from the collection, just taken in a slightly different direction.

Honestly, the kiwi note here is great. While it’s not used in a ton of perfumes, this is one of the better instances of kiwi being prominent in a composition, that I’ve ever smelled. It’s delicious.

Underneath the top notes, I can smell some cassis, mostly lily, and a bit of jasmine as well. To me, that’s as far as Soiree develops, at times you get more of the floral notes but it’s pretty straightforward throughout.

Water lily has the largest role, in the latter stages beyond the pink kiwi.  Is that a bad thing? Not in this case, because that fresh and tropical fruity aroma, is really attractive and has a soothing cool aspect to it that I enjoy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Viva la Juicy Soiree is pretty middle of the road. It’s not weak by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn’t a complete bomb either. Fits in nicely with most of the rest of this designer’s collection.

I also got some decent longevity out of it, about 7 hours of solid strength, and an hour or so of complete skin scent. Nice, though, not extreme. For a warmer weather fragrance, it’s actually pretty darn good

Seasonally, spring or summertime all the way. This one would be beautiful in the heat, refreshing, and wouldn’t turn into a mess. Here in the cold, it is nice, and has no problems.

However, it does have that tropical kiwi sort of scent, which doesn’t fit with the mood of the weather but no performance issues.

I’d call this one an everyday wear for the warmer months. It’s safe for work. Can be worn casually. Plus, it is delicious smelling enough to be attractive for dates.

Overall Impressions of Soiree

Overall, do I like Juicy Couture Soiree? I do. It’s a pretty linear and simple scent, but it does what it does well. The kiwi note is the most noticeable, but it never feels overdone.

It’s a clean and fruity mix with some floral notes sitting underneath, to add a bit more depth. Solid performance and really attractive to smell.

I like the top notes, the kiwi and orange, as it lends a freshness to the overall composition of the perfume. The floral notes, such as the lily also give it a watery sort of fresh, that pairs well with the sweetness and tropical aroma of the kiwi.

It’s a nice fragrance overall. Not super complicated, but I think that it does everything well enough. The performance is solid, just not amazing, and it’s enjoyable on the whole. Very youthful with a tart/sweet blend and just a fun scent.

I do believe that this has been discontinued, as of this update. So, it might be tough to find bottles of it, going forward.

I Want Choo EDP by Jimmy Choo

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I Want Choo is a popular release from Jimmy Choo, which came out a few years ago. I’ve been familiar with it for a while, but got a full sample with an order a while back, so I’ve been testing it to do a full review for the site. How does it smell? Is it worth a buy?

What does I Want Choo Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, mandarin, jasmine, red lily, vanilla, benzoin, resin

Click here to try: I Want Choo

top choo fragrance

My Full Review

I Want Choo opens up with its fruity notes out, the peach is the stronger of the two, but you will get a dash of the mandarin juice.

But, the fruits up top aren’t really allowed to truly express their full juiciness, as the middle floral notes and the resinous vanilla qualities from the base are there early too. It’s got a sparkling fruitiness to it instead.

The red lily and jasmine sambac are going to increase in strength from that peachy start. The jasmine is the stronger of the two floral notes, to my nose, but Choo says that the perfume is built around the lily.

It’s sweet, somewhat soapy, with a nice mix of the vanilla and benzoin note. I’m glad they included benzoin and resin in the mix, because I think that really helps to give I Want Choo a bit more of a distinct character.

The fruit notes will really drop off and basically become a sweetish impression sitting underneath the floral notes, with the jasmine still having the lead.

The final dry down is basically jasmine, vanilla, and the benzoin note. The rest of the notes are vaguely there, but this Jimmy Choo is dominated by those three.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, I Want Choo will start out on the upper end of what could be considered moderate, but it will quickly move into a lighter territory. Though, this isn’t a skin scent until the the latter stages.

It has a nice amount of projection off of my skin and I never really felt that it was weak, when I had it on.

The longevity is right about seven hours on skin. On clothes, it’ll keep going like most other perfumes. It’s a pretty good performer, but nothing that would be considered elite.

Seasonally, I Want Choo is nice enough year round. It’s not really a summer scent, but it won’t completely melt away either. I might avoid the absolute hottest and most humid days, but it is fine almost any other time.

Probably best in the more moderate temperatures of spring and autumn or even cooler weather of winter.

This can be worn by all age ranges, but it’s not going to be a formal wear type of perfume. It’s fine for most daytime use, casual wear, or even a night out. It’s sweetness is pretty, cozy, and has a certain appeal to it. I don’t know if I’d call it sexy, though.

Overall Impressions of I Want Choo

Overall, do I like I Want Choo? Yes, it’s nice enough. I like the resinous base, the peach, and the vanilla with the jasmine. I do think that it’s been one of the better recent Jimmy Choo releases.

It’s nothing that’s super exciting or all that original, but it is sweet and attractive. It’s an easy to wear perfume with plenty of versatility and pretty good performance.

If you like a fragrance like Good Girl or Coach Dreams Sunset, this is similar to both. Not an exact match, but definitely in the same ballpark. The dry down is fairly close to what you get with Good Girl and the opening is related to Dreams Sunset, just switching a few notes.

The lily and the jasmine make for a nice pair to go along with the vanilla. If you don’t want a sweet vanilla based floral perfume, look elsewhere, because that’s what you get with this one. But, it’s an attractive example, that can be had for a fairly reasonable price.